Shopping: Fendi opens boutique at Beverly Center

Fendi

Fendi

The new Fendi store at the Beverly Center.

The new Fendi store at the Beverly Center. (Fendi)

Emili VesilindSpecial to the Los Angeles Times

Who says luxury is dead? Fendi, the Italian designer label famous for its lavish furs and Lilliputian baguette handbags, has opened a new boutique at the Beverly Center — the first in the U.S. to feature a designated men's accessories section.

The 1,825-square-foot boutique boasts the same undulating ribbed white walls, slate-gray granite floors and steel accents that mingle so harmoniously in the Peter Marino-designed Fendi flagship on Rodeo Drive.

But the Beverly Center boutique also features a striking amber-colored glass facade incorporating a backlit pair of puzzle-piece-style double-Fs, the brand's logo. (The amber glass "is an important new architectural concept for our boutiques globally," said Stacy Van Praagh, president of Fendi.)

The men's section, which occupies half of the front room in the two-room store, features the label's famously slick formal shoes and casual kicks, wallets, man-bags, jewelry and sunglasses.

"The Beverly Center has a strong men's offering and drives a large, diverse male client into the center," Van Praagh said. "We see a nice opportunity for this developing category of business." Prices for men's accessories range from around $275 for a Zucca jacquard belt to more than $1,500 for travel bags.

The store also features an atypically large selection of handbags for women, said Van Praagh. And, indeed, the back room of the store feels museum-like with its walls of structured and slouchy bags perched inside softly lighted cubbies.

Along with a few versions of the baguette, there are myriad shopping totes in the brand's Zucca-print canvas (featuring the double-F logo), more tailored-looking purses and sumptuous leather hobos. Bag prices range from around $700 for a simple shopper to $4,600 for the grandiose calf-hair Peekaboo tote.

The store's prices may not be the friendliest, but on a recent visit, the staff proved to be unshakably sweet — even to an obviously "just browsing" type.

Macy's Men's Designer Event Thursday: Snack on hors d'ouevres from Campanile restaurant as you preview the latest men's collections from Moods of Norway, Hugo Boss, Armani Jeans and French Connection, among others — courtesy of Macy's and OUT magazine. Also, meet the charismatic trio of designers for Moods of Norway, who will be bringing their famous Norwegian waffles to the soiree.

O'Neill's Generation Next Saturday: Surf and skate brand O'Neill will host its third annual Generation Next design competition and music event — partnering with Teen Vogue — where five students from Orange County high schools present an original dress or romper and handbag design on the runway as they compete for a $5,000 scholarship and a design internship at O'Neill. There will also be an O'Neill swim fashion show and a live musical performance by chic L.A. band the Like.

UGG Australia with Corey Miller Saturday: Buy a new pair of Uggs and tattoo artist Corey Miller, star of "L.A. Ink," will airbrush custom artwork on them. And, of course, the latest and greatest Uggs will be on display.

South Coast Plaza Style Tuesday: The tony O.C. mall celebrates fall with an evening of fashion in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and its charitable initiative, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. The event will kick off with a runway show in the Jewel Court, followed by more than 100 in-store events, including a meet-and-greet with celebrity designer Andrea Lieberman at Barneys New York Co-op and a storewide 25%-off sale at Chloé.

TenOverSix: High-end accessories haven TenOverSix has decamped from its Beverly Boulevard space into new digs on highly trafficked Melrose Avenue. But the stellar mix of odds and ends from brands including Band of Outsiders, Alexander Wang, Comme Des Garçons, Martine Sitbon and Rogues Gallery remains intact.

Camarillo Premium Outlets Columbus Day Sale Friday through Oct. 11: Get 25% to 65% off the already discounted prices at more than 160 discount designer stores including Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.